News

7 January 2008
CONCERN OVER DRINK DRIVE FIGURES DESPITE FALL

SCOTLAND’S Police chiefs remain deeply concerned at levels of drink driving across the country despite a marginal fall on last year’s figures.

Figures for the four-week festive drink-drug driving campaign backed by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland show that a total of 839 drivers were arrested for numerous drink-drug driving offences across the eight force areas.

While this represents a reduction on last year of 69 from 908 Police chiefs are stressing that there is neither cause for celebration nor room for complacency.

Chief Constable John Vine of Tayside Police, Chair of the ACPOS Road Policing Business Area, said: “For many years we have been pressing home the message that not only is drink driving dangerous and socially unacceptable but the chances of being detected are greater than ever.

“Despite our efforts a percentage of men and women continue to ignore the risks associated with this dangerous and foolhardy course of action.”

He added: “I am not celebrating the fact that our figures appear to show that drivers are heeding the warnings because over 800 drivers still chose to risk the consequences. That is an unacceptably high figure in today’s modern society.

“I am grateful to those members of the public who undertook their moral duty and told the police about suspected drunk drivers. They may well have saved lives.”

Mr Vine warned drivers that, although the current campaign is at end, Scottish forces will continue their efforts to make the roads as safe as possible by tracking down those who drive under the influence.

The final week of the campaign saw 182 drivers caught for drink or drug driving offences bringing the total to 839.

On the morning of Thursday 3 January, police officers observed a 39 year old male driving a bus south of Glasgow on the M77, in an erratic manner. The driver was arrested after failing a road side breath test and later found to be over five times the limit.

On the same day a 61 year old male in Maddiston near Falkirk was charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath and disqualified driving following an anonymous call to say a driver was asleep in his vehicle in the middle of the road.

A 38 year old male was arrested on the afternoon of 30 December 2007 when he failed a roadside breath test after being found in the Motherwell area, slumped over the wheel of a recovery vehicle. He was arrested and later provided readings showing him to be over three times the limit.

On Hogmanay a 30 year old male driver caused his vehicle to mount a footpath narrowly missing a pedestrian with a young child in pushchair. Despite being damaged, the vehicle continued and was involved in two further incidents before being stopped by police in Stirling. He was charged with dangerous driving, drunk driving and was kept in custody.

• Following a call from a member of public in the Fife area on 30 December, a 29-year-old male was reported for drink driving having driven his car through a brick wall and into a garden.  He was also reported for careless driving, failing to stop and to report an accident, driving without a licence or insurance
• Also on 30 December a 19 year old male was arrested in Elgin having crashed a car.  He provided a positive breath sample and was subsequently found to have had stolen the vehicle and driven without a licence or insurance.  He was found to be nearly 3 times the legal limit
• On 3 January a 20 year old male was stopped in Peterhead having been seen driving whilst using a mobile phone.  He was arrested for providing a positive roadside breath test
• During the early hours of New Years Day near Ayr a 42 year old male was stopped while riding his motorcycle. He provided a positive breath sample and was later found to almost four times the limit. The driver was also found to have no insurance, a provisional licence, no MOT and his excise licence had expired
• In Blairgowrie in the Tayside area, a 17 year old male was reported for drink driving for the second time during the campaign